Pip Blom @ Concorde 2, Brighton: Gig review

In 2005, legendary rock star Paul Weller released the single From The Floorboards Up. A song which encapsulates the energy rising from the ground on nights where everything goes right for a live band. A feeling which Weller believed he could transport out into the audience to create the perfect gig experience.

On first viewing, Concorde 2 fits the profile of the venues described in Weller’s two-minute Mod hymn. The high ceilings, wooden floors and long main room makes it the perfect place to extract the mighty spirit that bands all strive to harness when playing live.

On Tuesday, February 15, indie rock band Pip Blom were the latest group to attempt this mystical feat, with their rocket-fuelled set sending lightning bolts of energy through the Concorde crowd.

Supported by Famous People and Lounge Society, the four-piece opened their set with the grungy foot stomper, Tinfoil. The gritty, distorted rift coming from Pip’s guitar hooked the audience in from the get-go.

The band’s catchy pop melodies then flowed through the venue with songs You Don’t Want This and Tired, the feel-good vibe of the Amsterdam group was embodied by the lead singer’s hips grooving with the music, swinging from side-to-side as she belted out the lyrics to both songs.

The set was split evenly between songs from the latest record, Welcome Break, and their first album Boat. Babies, Trouble in Paradise and Easy had every member of the band moving across all corners of the stage as they pushed to harness the power out of the Concorde floorboards.

But within Pip Blom’s insistent high-energy song pace, lied their biggest issue. Throughout the middle portion of the gig, the break-neck speed of each tune left the audience behind, leaving them unable to connect to the performance.

Not allowing the show to breathe with a variety of song styles, which the band certainly have in their arsenal, meant a lot of the crowd felt like they were hearing the same song stuck on repeat for much of the night.

However, by the time Pip launched into Keep it Together, the spectators at the front were jumping ferociously up and down to the snappy number. The mammoth chorus sounded incredible as it thundered out of the speakers.

This momentum stayed with Pip Blom for their last two songs of the night, Pussycat and their most popular anthem, Daddy Issues.

At times, it felt that Paul Weller could have easily written From The Floorboards Up about this gig. At others, it seemed Pip Blom had taken this idea too literally, getting caught up in their own turbo-chorus world.

A world that for most of the night , was an excellent place to visit.

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